Inflatable article.



Patented Ian. M, I902.

No. same.

c. INFLATABLE AHTIELE.

w. cunum.

(Application filed Feb. 14, 1901.)

Z-Shaets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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CHARLES V. CURLIN, OF HIOKMAN, KENTUCKY.

ENFLATABLE ARTICLE.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,118, dated January14, 1902. Application filed February 14, 1901. Serial No. 47,299- (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. CURLIN, a

. citizen of the United States, residing at Hickman,in the county ofFulton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Inflatable Articles; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in what may be termed airand water bags, beds, pillows, cushions, and other inflatable articles.

In the making of air-tight articles composed of textile fabrics and airand water proofed with alinseed-oil or other compound, as heretofore,they have been made by cutting and sewing the pieces together withoutdue reference to the final or inflated contour. The pieces have beenbrought together andthe article closed before the water or air proofingwas applied. Such goods have been of but little practical value, for thereason that the same were non-elastic and the strain thereon was exertedunequally, not being conformed to the final shape of the article or wheninflated. The receptacle or body being closed and then the water or airproofing compound applied excluded the airthe drying agent-from theinside of the article, and as linseed-oil is dried by absorption ofoxygen the compound on the inside could only be partly dried and left ina wet tacky condition. Such goods have but little strength and soonbecome sticky and rotten and have proved to be dangerous, as drying oil,especially linseedoil, when exposed to air gradually absorbs oxygen, andthe chemical combination causes the evolution of heat, and spontaneouscombustion has been the result.

I am aware that air beds, pillows, and other inflatable articles havebeen made by cutting the canvas or other cotton goods and sewing thepieces partly together, leaving an openingin the body to allow thepassage of air to facilitate the drying of the applied compound andafter the goods were water or air proofed the article was closed and theseams finished and a liquid was poured into the article to seal theseams. The disadvantages of such manufacture are: First, insufficientattention was paid to the making of the body to conform it to the shapeof the article after it was inflated, and the goods being non elasticpulled at certain places and puckered at others, causing the walls tobreak and leak; second, the articles being closed the liquid wasintroduced through the air-tube and had to be drained out through thesame small tube, and in this way too much of the liquid was left on theinside of the article and collected in the seams, and puddles wereformed in other places in such quantities that the compound would notdry, and when the goods Were infiated and submitted to weight orpressure the liquid, not being dry, would be forced through theneedle-holes produced in sewing the goods to the outside, which allowedthe air to escape.

Ithas for its object to predetermine the final inflated shape of thearticle, with the view of securing a uniformity of surface pressure whenthe article is inflated; further, to facilitate the waterproofing andair-proofing of the article, the same being permissible before thecompletion of the article, but heretofore not having been done untilafter the manufacture thereof; also, to promote the durability of thearticle, consequently its eX- tended utility, lessen liability topremature wear,and otherwise add to longevity of use,&c.

The invention therefore consists of a closure or receptacle of peculiarconstruction and in its manufacture, substantially as hereinafter morefully disclosed, and specifically pointed out by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment ofmyinvention, Figure 1 is a perspective view thereof. Fig. 2 is atransverse section. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the principalsections constituting myinvention, the closure orarticle made up ofthree principal sections. Fig. 4 is a modification disclosing similarbinding or reinforcing strips as employed in the preferred form or theother figures. applied at the corners instead of centrally of thearticle. Figs. 5 and 6 are a side view and a cross section of a secondmodification showing the closure or article without stays. Fig. 7 is anenlarged detailed section showing more fully the manner of connecting orjoining the principal sections of the article or closure together andthe binding or reinforcing strips applied at said point of union orconnection.

Latitude is allowed herein as to details, as they may be changed orvaried at will without departing from the spirit of my invention and thesame yet remain intact and be protected.

In carrying out my invention I first suitably shape or out the materialof textile character, preferably as shown in Fig. 3, thus producing thecontinuous top and partial side portions 1 2 and the continuous bottomand partial side portions 1 2, respectively, of the principal sectionsor halves 3 of the article. The end portions 4 of each of such sectionsare cut, as disclosed in Fig. 4. Said continuous top and side portionsor blanks 1 2 are preferably generally rectangular or square in outline,while said end portions or blanks 4:

are preferably scalloped or undulatory, as at 6, upon their edgesjoiningsaid top and side portions or blanks, imparting to the closure orarticle in its finality or inflated condition a symmetrical contour, asdisclosed in Fig. 1. By thus producing or forming the parts of eachsection 3 the closure or receptacle formed thereby is rendered free fromfolds, puckers, orwrinkles orotherwise being affected, which wouldprevent it from presenting a uniformity of pressure-surface in its finalinflated contour or shape. Unequal strain or pulling of the material isthus removed from the article at the seams as well as elsewhere, aswould be the case if the material forming said parts of the closure orreceptacle were pro duced, as heretofore, without reference to its finalinflated contour or form.

To the inner surfaces of the top and bottom of the sections 3 aresuitably attached at desired intervals strips 7 and to these strips aresewed or connected the half-stays 7 along one of their longitudinaledges, which are connected together, as at 9. The attachment between thestays and said sections is effected while the water andair proofingcompound application is yet moist to provide for forcing or expressingthe water and air proofing compound application into theneedle-punctures as the fabric is passed under the sewing-machinepressure-foot.

The sections 3 have their joining or meeting edges hemmed or reinforcedand turned outward, as at 7, and to the inner surfaces of said sectionsat these points are suitably applied or sewed strips 7 with theirmeeting edges also turned outward and returned or: folded uponthemselves, as at 7, and to these portions or surfaces is applied inasemisolid or fluid state a suitable water and air proofing compound,and over these portions or surfaces is applied a binding or reinforcingstrip. Said portions or surfaces, together with said binding-strip, aresewed together while the compound application is yet moist or wet forthe like purpose as mentioned in connection with the attachment of thestays to the closure or article sections. As a finality a freely-flowingor fluent water or air proofing compound may be applied to the innersurface of the completed article to more effectively insure the closingof any needle punctures or openings at any point which might notpossibly have been previously treated or subsequently made after suchtreatment.

Two tubes 12, with caps 12 are provided for closing openings in oppositeends of the closure, one of said openings permitting of placing orinserting ice or water therein, the other opening provided for the readyinflation of the closure or article. Also its tube permits of theattachment thereto of a hose or pipe in applying the device as asyringe.

In event of the article becoming punctured it may bereadily repaired byseparating the section 3 near the puncture along the line of unionbetween said sections to obtain access and apply the patch to the innersurface of the closure or article.

The article-sections are as above made permitted before the finalconnecting together thereof to receive and have applied to them a waterand air proofing compound, the principle ingredient of which islinseed-oil, which is applied to the inner surface and may also beapplied to the outer surface thereof and allowed to thoroughly dry withsaid parts still in their unconnected condition. Heretofore this hasbeen done after the article has been closed or partly closed. Thislast-named way of water and air proofing said parts is greatlyobjectionable, because it has been found impossible to thoroughly drythe same, partly owing to its not being directly exposed to the air, butmainly because of the inability to sufficiently drain oi the surplusliquid compound, Which by accumulation within the article as formerlymade is prevented from hardening. My construction permits of theapplication of several coats of the water and air proofing compound andof each being separately and thoroughly dried by thus applying the sameand being able to keep the parts unconnected until such drying is effected.

In the modification as disclosed by Fig. 5 it will be seen that in lieuof making the receptacle or article as aforesaid the top and bottom andend portions thereof may be made as shown therein. In Fig. 6 the sameconstruction of the parts named is provided and all stays are omitted,the basis of the invention resting upon the fact of so constructing thearticle that it shall assume in its finality an equal or uniformpressure-surface to its contained air or liquid. It is observed that theclosure thus adapted to be inflated, may be used, in addition to theaforesaid purposes, also in connection with an atomizer, 850.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process of making inflatable water and air proof articles oftextile material,

which consists in partially making the article; coating the foldedmeeting edges of the sections of said fabric with a suitable liquid andapplying a binding-strip by sewing to said edges; and subjecting thewhole while yet moist to pressure, forcing the liquid into theneedle-punctnreaas set forth.

2. The process of making inflatable water and air proof articles oftextile material, which consists in partially making the article;coating the normally inside of the parts of said article, in itsincomplete condition, with a water and air proofingliquid and thoroughlydrying the same before completing the article; coating the infoldedmeeting edges of said article upon the inside with a water and airproofing liquid, and applying a binding-strip by sewing to said edges;and subjecting the same while yet moist or wet to pressure;substantially as set forth.

3. The process of making inflatable water and air proof articles oftextile material, which consists in partially making the article;coating the normally inside of the parts of the article in itsincomplete condition with a water and air proofing liquid and thoroughlydrying the same before completing the article; connecting stays to theparts of said article while yet moist or wet; coating the folded meetingedges of said article with a water and air proofing liquid, and applyinga bind ing-strip by sewing to said edges; and subjecting the same topressure while yet moist or wet, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 35 in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES W. OURLIN. lVitnesses: V

H. F. REMLEY, G. L. CARPENTER.

